This issue has a political aspect to it: "...the federal government has done its part to keep it that way, taxing diesel at a rate about 25 percent higher than gasoline. A recent assessment by the American Petroleum Institute, an oil industry trade group, found that federal taxes accounted for 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel but only 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline.

In Europe, where in many regions about half of the cars on the road run on diesel, these tax incentives are flip-flopped, with diesel drivers reaping the economic benefits accordingly."

Another thing is that diesel can be found at every gas station. Not the case in the US (at least not where I live in New England). If the relative price of diesel and gasoline were similar to Europe, and could be purchased at every station, I would have no problem buying a diesel vehicle.